The University of the Free State (UFS) Kovsie Football Club delivered a statement performance in the Free State stream of the
ABC Motsepe League with an emphatic 5–2 away victory over 13th-placed Remember Elite Soccer Academy on Friday 20 March at the Flavius Mareka Grounds in Sasolburg. The result keeps the Kovsies firmly in fourth place on the log and strengthens their push in the league campaign.
Despite the departure of Vuyo Kopamotse to Mangaung Unite Football Club at the start of the second round, the Kovsies are not short of goal poachers. Leading the charge is striker Omphemetse Athibeng, who bagged a brace to take his tally to nine goals for the season.
Reflecting on the match, Kopamotse said that he is happy to have scored a brace and “it is a reflection of the hard work put in training, and most importantly, helping the team get a positive result”.
“It is a responsibility rather than just an achievement. It is also a motivation for me to keep improving, stay consistent, and contribute even more to the team’s success. At the end of the day, it is always about the collective effort, and I am just glad to play my part,” said Kopamotse.
The result underlined the Kovsie squad’s attacking strength and growing confidence and cohesion on the field. The players’ ability to convert opportunities into goals demonstrated the impact of the work being done on the training ground, something the technical team has been placing emphasis on in recent weeks.
Speaking about the game, head coach
Mokete Tsotetsi attributed the win to “taking risks and creating chances”. “It has been long coming. You can play good football, but at the end of the day, it's about us taking shots and converting our chances. Luckily for us, on the day the boys were switched on and took their chances.”
Next for Kovsies is a home game against Motsomotle FC from Phuthaditjhaba, currently eighth on the log with the same number of wins in 25 matches. Kovsies will want to add to their misery after their opponents lost 5-1 at home to Mangaung Unite in their previous game.
Kopamotse emphasised the team’s determination: “There is real hunger to push high up the table. Our training sessions have been sharp, with a lot of attention to detail and improving both our attack and defence. The mindset in the team is very positive. We are taking it one game at a time while staying fully committed to finishing the season as strongly as possible.”
Head coach Tsotetsi urged the UFS community to come out in their numbers to the next home game, saying the team draws strength from supporters.
“The supporters are our ‘twelfth man’ during the game. They were behind us when for the first time we won the 2025
Varsity Football Tournament and we need them too in the league. Their support makes things easy for us to grow football at the university. We cannot grow without their support.
Next match:
Kovsie Football Club vs Motsomotle FC
Venue: Kovsie Football Ground, Bloemfontein Campus
Time: 16:00